The California Prune Board has appointed Hala El-Shafie as its new health brand ambassador in the UK.

El-Shafie is a consultant nutritionist and registered dietitian and member of the British Dietetic Association, and appears regularly on TV programmes on health and nutrition.

She founded lifestyle and wellbeing magazine Nutrition Rocks which aims to offer people easy and practical advice on living a healthier lifestyle, showcasing recipes and no nonsense information on nutrition.

El-Shafie is also health writer and is a regular contributor to some of the UK’s leading lifestyle publications and newspapers.

The board said the appointment of a media facing health brand ambassador reflects its continued commitment to extending awareness of the significant health and nutritional benefits associated with prunes.

Commenting on the appointment, California Prune Board’s European marketing director Esther Ritson-Elliott said, “We are delighted to welcome Hala to our team of brand ambassadors.

“The California Prune Board has always led the category in terms of investing in cutting edge, world class research to provide clear evidence of the superior health and nutrition credentials of California prunes.

“Our research has enabled prunes to achieve an authorised health claim in Europe (for normal bowel function) - the only whole natural fruit to do so. We are currently in the throes of our largest ever clinical trial to provide further support to strengthen the existing research which links prunes with normal bone health.

“Hala’s extensive professional and media experience means that she is ideally placed to help us reach out to our consumer, trade, food professional and foodservice audiences and ensure that there is an improved understanding of how the inclusion of California prunes in the diet can deliver a positive impact on health and well-being.”

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